Sauteed Shrimp and Garlic Asparagus

Asparagus is a spring vegetable that is so easy to cook, grill, roast, steam or simply sauteed it. Asparagus is one of the best food for diet conscious person  because it is fat free, contains No Cholesterol and is low in Sodium. It is a nutrient-dense food which is  high in Folic Acid and is a good source of  fiber, Potassium, Thiamin and Vitamins A, C and B6.

Ingredients:

2  Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 bunch fresh asparagus
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
Shrimp
salt and pepper

Directions:

• Heat oil in the skillet over medium-high heat, add the butter or margarine until melted. 
• Saute the minced garlic and asparagus spears. Cover and cook until asparagus is tender for 10 minutes or more, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.
• Remove the  cooked garlic asparagus. Set Aside. 
• In the same skillet, add shrimp and cooks. Season with salt and pepper. 
• Serve the sauteed Asparagus topped with shrimp.

Safety Tips for Leftover Food

It is sad how many people don't value the money their husband earned by throwing away leftover food easily. Home cooking leftovers are often saved to be eaten later. We may keep it in the refrigerator for a certain period of time or reheat when needed or recycle it for another delicious meal. In dealing with leftover food, a knowledge on proper food safety is important to prevent food poisoning( food borne illness)  caused by the bacteria from the improper food handling. Food poisoning causes abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.

Don't  let left over food stay too long outside the fridge. The bacteria starts to grow and the food begins to spoil when food is left out at room temperature for a longer period of time. Once you are done eating, make sure to put it on the fridge and just reheat whenever you need it. All cooked foods should be refrigerated, or frozen within 2 hours after cooking. Safe period starts after the food is cooked. The refrigerator temperature should be at 40°F or below.

Never keep leftovers in the refrigerator for more than 4 days. It is better to put a date before refrigerating them to make sure they don't remain in your refrigerator too long. Bacteria typically don't change the  appearance, taste or the smell of food, so you cannot  tell whether the food is still safe to eat. If you're in doubt about  food's safety, never taste it and it's best to throw it away.

When leftover food is reheated, make sure you heat them completely. Leftover food should be reheated to 165°F throughout, by stirring them while reheating.

Snake Cake- Albino Burmese Python

A photo  of Albino Burmese Python  captured my attention when I logged in to my yahoo account only to find out that this is not a real one, it is a fake snake made by Francesca Pitcher of North Star Cakes in Kent, U.K..She was prompted to add this tagline: "****I DO NOT SELL SNAKES****. This photo is of a snake CAKE made to look like an Amelanistic Burmese Python for a birthday party."

The cake is made of a layer of sponge cake using a white chocolate fondant with special dye to make the skin and replicate the distinctive markings of the dangerous snake. For three days, Francesca Pitcher spent 12 hours for baking and shaping the cake.

The snake is absolutely amazing!

If you want to know more about Francesca and her snake cake, here is her  her FB page wall post.

1)I am based in the UK, I will ship the snake cake within the UK but carriage will be at your cost and your risk. I cannot ship internationally.
2) I will happily cater for food intollerances, so if you need
dairy-free etc that's not a problem.
3) Yes, I can make any species of snake its just the patination and head shape that would need to be looked at as I'm not a reptile expert - if you want a quote for a different type of snake please PM with details and an image and include the details as per point 5).
4) Sorry to all my baker friends, but I am not going to share how he's made just yet.
5) If you require a quote for the snake cake or any other cake please PM directly with cake details, collection date, number of required portions and flavour and I will reply with a quote.

Thank you so much for all your interest and kind words. Francesca

Photos credit: North Star Cakes Facebook page.

Chicken Macaroni Soup

Chicken Macaroni soup is  one of the most popular soup in the Philippines. The soup is so easy to prepare and can be cooked in many ways and with whatever ingredients you have in the pantry along with the macaroni and chicken. It can be a breakfast, snack, an appetizer or a meal itself. Growing up, my mother always cooks this for us.

NECTRESSE Natural No Calorie Sweetener

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of NECTRESSE™Sweetener for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I have recently recieved a free sample of NECTRESSE, a new no-calorie sweetener from the makers of Splenda, and I've got to say, I'm impressed. It's the only 100% natural sweetener made from fruit; monk fruit, to be exact. I love that it's textured a lot like cane sugar, YET it still blends easily. I would have to say it's one of the best, if not THE best, no-calorie sweeteners available.

Newman’s Own Organics Giveaway

Join Newman’s Own Organics Giveaway and win some of Newman's Own Organics full size products and a special surprise. To give you an ideas of this product,  you can read Nita's review of Newman’s Own Organics here.

Tips for Safe Grilling

Grilling is one of the chores that my husband loves to do. He do the grilling while I do the marinating. When it is grilling time, he makes sure that the grill is clean by handing it to me for cleaning.  Then he starts to light the charcoal, and let it burn until all coals are white on the surface. The charcoal should be ashy enough before before placing the food on the grill.

Easy to Make Creamy Rice Pudding

An easy to make dessert that your family would love.

Ingredients :

• 1 1/2 cups cooked rice 
• 2 cups milk
• 1cup heavy cream or milk if you don't have it.
• 1/3 cup white sugar 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1 egg, beaten 
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• raisins (optional)

Directions :

1. In a saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar and salt.
2. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy. Stir frequently to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. 
3. Add in the remaining 1 cup heavy cream and beaten egg. 
4. Cook for 10 minutes more over low fire until thickened, stirring constantly. Be careful not to bring the mixture into a boil. Add the vanilla. Remove from heat. 
5. Stir in butter and raisins. Top with powdered chocolate or cinnamon
6. Serve warm or cold.